Republic of Akhir
Nation Summary The Republic of Akhir (pron. ʔaxɪr) is a tiny young nation with citizens primarily of Germanic ethnicity whose religion is Catholicism. Its citizens pay moderately high tax rates and they are somewhat unhappy in their work environments as a result. The citizens of Republic of Akhir work diligently to produce Water and Silver as tradable resources for their nation. The government has no definite position on foreign affairs at this time. When it comes to nuclear weapons Republic of Akhir has no definite position and is therefore considered opposed to them. The military of Republic of Akhir has been positioned at all border crossings and is arresting all drug traffickers. Republic of Akhir does not allow any form of government protests. Its armed police forces work quickly at "dissolving" any and all government protests. Its borders are closed to all forms of immigration. Republic of Akhir detains individuals who participate in the slanderous comments about the government. The government of Republic of Akhir has no compassion for other people of the world and does not contribute to foreign aid. The government of Republic of Akhir will trade with any other country regardless of ethical consequences. History Little is known about the foundation of Akhir though it was almost definitely not inhabited by the current Germanic population until the early 19th Century, but rather by an Arab population,hence the Arabic sounding names of many cities and towns. The nation does not, however, retain any Arab connection, and does not even officially recognise a former Arab presence at any time. Many scholars believe that the (very secretive) government of the current Republic keep the truth of the country's past hidden away. The government refutes this accusation vehemently. In any case, information about the history of the nation would be for the most part mere speculation. Politics The Republic of Akhir is a one-party state and does not take part in elections at any level. Die Demokratische Katholische Partei (DKP) is the ruling party and it's leader is the country's President, Benjamin Pellegrino, who has been in office since 1997. There is no expiry-date for his term, and it is speculated that he will remain in this role at least until retirement age. Perhaps surprisingly given the lack of democracy in the country, there are almost no protests against the government, though it is purported that this is because the SSO, the nation's 'secret police', keep a close eye on such things and disband anything that looks suspicious. Strangely, the government has 'no definite position' on foreign affairs, which many believe is because it does not wish to gain a reputation akin to other small countries, which appear to be 'against' bigger and more powerful nations. However, the country has a 'no immigration' policy which allows no one to become even a temporary resident or citizen (unless one can prove Akhirian ethnicity). One must obtain a visa and a letter of acceptance from the 'Außenministerium der Republik Achir' if one wishes to stay in Akhir. The maximum time allowed for non-citizens is 4 weeks. This amount is usually only granted to businessmen. Cities, towns and villages Among the RoA's cities and towns are: *Al Manama *Al Muharraq *Hamad Town *Isa Town *Riffa *Jidhafs *Sitrah *Al-Hidd Languages There are 3 official languages of Akhir, German, Latin and English. The Republik of Akhir can be said to be a diglossia. It is not a triglossia because Latin is never spoken, but is simply the basis for many official documents, due to the country's close connection with the Vatican. German is the language of formality and is used in news broadcasts, in school, in advertisements and in most formal situations. English was never intended to be an official language (before 1972, only German and Latin were the offical two) but due to exposure to the British in the mid-twentieth Century, the population began to use it among themselves more frequently than German. It is therefore the language of informality or familiarity. The President always makes his addresses and speeches in German, but even he uses English in most other situations, notably when greeting members of the public. Despite this, he does not intend to repeal the prestige-status of German, so there does not look to be a decline in its usage.